Why Rugby

Rugby is a dynamic, fast-paced game that can be played by people of all ages, level of ability, body shape and size.

Rugby is a great sport to start at a young age as it teaches balance, mobility, agility and coordination which are key to athletic development in any sport.

At the Clan, we have a position for everyBODY. That’s right, everybody! Rugby needs players that are smart, fast, big, strong, small, tall, and everything in between. Rugby is a game that focuses on the strengths of the players and needs different strengths for different positions.

Rugby at an early age teaches kids about respect, discipline and resilience which contributes to their development as respectful and strong individuals in life.

Rugby is a sport that champions longevity in the game. From playing, to coaching, as well as volunteering at events or being a referee, there is an opportunity for everyone to get involved!

Contact is introduced very slowly in rugby and doesn’t start until the age of 11.

Ages 5 – 9 play flag rugby which is similar to flag football where there is no tackling or contact allowed.

From 11 to 15 years old, contact and tackling is modified to make it safe and controlled for juniors. After 16 year old rugby is full contact for boys and girls.

Rugby is an empowering sport that exemplifies equality on and off the field as all the rules and equipment are the same for men and women.

Playing Rugby focuses on Teamwork, Discipline, Respect, Fun, and Improvement - all aspects of well-being that contribute to a healthy and vibrant lifestyle.

Do you have children and are interested to know more?Let’s tackle the important topics in depth together, and learn more about the benefits of Rugby for your kids!

Playing Rugby offers numerous opportunities to a healthy, fun, and committed lifestyle. It can also lead to new challenges, experiences, and travels around the world!

Good Health, Social Development, Rugby Family...

Playing Rugby offers numerous opportunities to a healthy, fun, and committed lifestyle!

GOOD HEALTH

Rugby is an exciting and energetic sport that involves physical activity, discipline, and concentration. By regularly attending trainings and games, children are challenged to keep high energy levels, stay active, and learn how fuel their bodies to build mental and physical strength.

Social Development

Rugby is the most inclusive sport as, unlikely many other team sports, it accepts all body shapes, sizes, and weight.

With 15 players on the field at one time, there is a wide range of positions and each one comes with different requirements, allowing all body types and personalities to be suited for a specific position on the field.

Everyone feels important on the pitch, and as a result off the field too!Feeling accepted and needed by peers and teammates from an early age and through adolescence, plays an important role in boosting self-confidence.

Kids that train and play together, bond and make instant friends. We often say that friends made on the field stay friends for life.

Learning how the improvement of the individual can benefit the whole team, sharing thrilling wins as well as tough losses, fighting together for a common objective, unites teammates.

At the Clan we believe that differences in body type, abilities, thinking and cultures teach our kids to respect, appreciate, and embrace diversity without hostility or conflict. Our teams are stronger because they are diverse.

Part of Rugby culture is respecting your opponents on and off the field, and bonding with the opposite teams after games and at events over hot dogs and hamburgers.

“United in diversity by the love of Rugby” is one of our core values.

FAMILY-LIKE ENVIRONMENT

At the Clan you don’t belong to a rugby team, you belong to a rugby family.

With so much to be shared on and off the field throughout different ages and stages of life, kids feel accepted and looked after by their Rugby club as by their own family.

It takes more than players and coaches to make a rugby club, and with 17 different teams, 40 coaches, an executive board, a host of ‘old boys’ (past players still involved in the club), a team of sports professionals, and an army of parent and player volunteers, we are a community that becomes part of everyday life offering acceptance, support, and positive competition.

As all families, we share meals too! Every Friday night after practice, we have a BBQ for our Junior players - just to make sure they recharge their batteries after a good session of hard work.

TRAVELLING OPPORTUNITies

Rugby is a global game, and it is a great way to see to world.

Many players decide to go for an international experience by doing an exchange with a Club in a foreign country, improve their skills, make new friends and connections, be challenged by change and adaptation, and learn from other cultures and countries.

Travelling through Rugby means landing in a new place, and from Day 1 being able to count on a solid, welcoming, and caring community. As a well-established Rugby Club, celebrating 50 years of rugby, we have helped many of our young players look for enriching experiences throughout Canada and abroad.

Rugby also allows those who want to pursue a professional career to travel around the globe, and get to see the world while playing, coaching, or refereeing.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

At the Clan, we strive to share the love of Rugby and contribute to the well-being of our local community.

We take part in many initiatives that see us involved in giving back from:

Annual year round food drive events for the Edmonton Food Bank;

Providing backpacks to Hearts for the Homeless;

Partnering with the Boys and Girls club around Edmonton to introduce more kids to rugby;

Sock collections, and other needed items for the less fortunate in town, we try to contribute as much as we can.Parents and children are always welcome and encouraged to volunteer, and help us make a difference!

For more information on all the initiatives we are involved in, you can click here.To register your interest in helping out, visit the page Get Involved!

COMPETITIVE FEES

Rugby is cheap to play, all you need are cleats and a mouth guard!

There is no special equipment, no additional skills sessions or facility rental fees associated with rugby.

Jerseys are supplied by the club and the Clan even has a cleat exchange program to gear swap to allow younger children to inherit equipment from older kids who cannot fit in them anymore.

Navy blue socks and black shorts of any label are accepted. However, branded Clansmen socks and shorts can be purchased at the Clubhouse, respectively for $10 and $20 each.

Registration fees for the year are considerably low. They are about $150 for ages 5 – 11, and about $200 for ages 12-18 for the season.

Trainings run for 2 hours/week from May to July, with game tournaments in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.

Note: specific time and dates of training and games vary for each team.

Clan coaches are NCCP certified and they are required to complete IRB Certifications, and Concussion Protocol Sessions.

Nothing comes before safety!For this reason, each coach prepares a coaching plan that includes an appropriate progression of skills to ensure players at all ages are learning in a safe and fun environment.

Games are monitored by certified referees and coaches according to Alberta Junior Rugby Association and IRB standards.

Every single game has a sport professional (certified Athletic Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Trainers) present to identify and manage any injury that happens on the field.

Rugby is a sport for life. Not only does it accept all body types and skill levels, it can also be played throughout all ages and phases of life. Kids can start playing at the age of 5, and continue until they grow tired of it - which we doubt can ever happen!

Every two years, kids move up an age grade and transition from one team to another. Age and physical maturity are the key factors when kids move divisions.

If you are ages...

5 to 7: you are a U7, and you'll be playing Flag Rugby. 2017 Registration fees: $140.00

8 to 9: you are a U9, and you'll be playing Flag Rugby. 2017 Registration fees: $140.00

10 to 11: you are a U11, and you'll be playing Modified Contact Rugby. 2017 Registration fees: $140.00

12 to 13: you are a U13, and you'll be playing Modified Contact Rugby. 2017 Registration fees: $202.00

14 to 15: you are a U15, and you'll be playing Modified Contact Rugby. 2017 Registration fees: $202.00

16 to 18: you are a U18, and you'll be playing Full Contact Rugby. 2017 Registration fees: $202.00

For ages 5 to 15 the season runs from May to July, and practices are every Friday at 6:30 followed by a BBQ. For ages 16 to 18 you are U18, and your season runs from Mid-June to August.

Under 13/15 Girls

Girls looking to play rugby need to look no further!The Clanswomen provide a safe and fun environment for young girls to start their rugby careers.The U13 and U15 teams provide girls with the skills needed to be successful athletes on and off the field.

The cost is $202.00 for registration. Practices are twice a week on Wednesday and Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 from May to July. Games are played Saturday Mornings at Ellerslie Rugby Park in Edmonton.

Fall league is a great way to learn rugby! Fall league runs from September to October with practices on Friday from 6:30 to 8:00 and games on Saturday mornings at Ellerslie Rugby Park. If you would like to learn more about junior girls rugby at the Clan, contact us!

u15 boys

The Clan U-15 boys program is well-established in the Edmonton Rugby Union. The U-15 program serves as a transition to the U-17 and U-18 programs. We also know how to have fun!

The cost is $202.00 for registration. Practices are twice a week on Wednesday and Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 from May to July. Games are played Saturday Mornings at Ellerslie Rugby Park in Edmonton.

If this sounds like the team for you, contact us! We accept all players and experience is not necessary.

U18 Boys

The Clan U-18 boys program is well-established in the Edmonton Rugby Union.

The cost is 202.00 for registration. Practices are twice a week from mid-June to August. Times and days for games and practices vary year to year depending on the schedules.

This program provides coaching towards developing the skills necessary to enjoy rugby at the highest levels. The U-18 program also serves as a transition to the U-18 and U-21 programs. We provide many opportunities to mix with the Senior players and look to have a seamless transition for those players looking to continue their rugby career. We also know how to have fun!

U18 Girls

The cost is $202.00 for registration. Practices are twice a week from mid-June to August. Times and days for games and practices vary year to year depending on the schedules.

The U-18 program serves as a transition to the Women's development team or the Women's Premiere team.

We provide many opportunities to mix with the Senior players and look to have a seamless transition for those players looking to continue their rugby career or to make it to Varsity Rugby. We also know how to have fun!

The Clansmen is part of the Edmonton Rugby Union. Take a look at the summer program here!

As the schedule is subject to change, we recommend checking out any Festival schedules and cancellations on the Edmonton Rugby Union website by 8:30 am of the game day.You can quickly access it through this link.

Code of conduct

Best behaviours on Game Days are the first step to fair play!

Players, spectators, and referees - they all contribute to a sound environment that enhances and promotes the love for Rugby.

Our players and their families receive a Code of Conduct at the time of registration, and we do encourage them to go through it and help us spread the fundamental rules of Sportsmanship.

contacts

Do you need more information?

You haven’t quite found what you were looking for?

Do you need help registering for the 2017 season?

For all inquiries and additional information regarding Junior Rugby at the Clan, please contact Tamara Kulyk, Junior Rugby Director through the contact form below!

All Rugby stars sooner or later get featured, and all our Clan kids deserve to shine as the true stars of Rugby.

Send us a picture of you, and tell us why you deserve to be our Star of the Week through the Contact Form below. Every week we will feature a different Mini Clan on our website to show case them.

What are you waiting for? Be a featured Mini Clan!

We encourage all parents and friends who enjoy taking photos of their children practising or playing with the Clan to post theirs on Instagram with the hashtag #MiniClan for a chance to be reposted on the Clansmen official Instagram profile.

Help us build great memories of your kids while we are busy developing their skills!